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Hey folks. I am a 41yr old father of 3 and have a severe car addiction. I have owned many Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis and currently drive a 2018 AMG C63. (31 cars in 20 years is NOT something to be proud of ) The 911 is my favorite since I was a kid and over the last year have been seriously looking. Lots of confusing info out there but I think I have a handle on what to look for. I finally found a 2006 997. I think... Its a 06 C4S. Almost 80K miles. Has a minor tick but nothing that didn't sound relatively normal to me. I have been tire kicking and test driving 997's monthly. Can you guys tell me if this "ticking" is a normal sound? I have heard it in a lot of other 997's I drove. I negotiated down to $32K (from $40K)... This is from a Mercedes dealership and their tech identified the tick after their inspection.
Cell phone video the sales manager took for me. Car is in Colorado, I am in Oklahoma... Flying out next week to see it in person.
I have a lift in my garage and work on cars as a hobby. I rebuilt many motors and transmissions in modern BMWs, Audi, and Mercedes... From the research I have done, the 997 is the the ideal modern Porsche (IMHO) as I have all the equipment and tools to tinker on it myself.
You’re buying a 12 year old car with a few “known” issues. Those issues are relatively rare, but can lead to extremely expensive repairs. Take the car in for a full PPI with a Porsche specialist. It will be the best $300 you spend on the car.
Welcome! Well I think buying a 911 will cure half your addiction. You certainly won't want another car. You will just want a weekend 911 and a daily driver 911...
That C4S looks pretty but I would be very, very cautious. I dont want to scare you because the 997.1 is a wonderful car if you do your homework. However, noticeable ticking like that typically doesnt mean good things. The two likely issues are stuck lifters or scored bores. I don't know as much about the former. The latter would require a new engine. While bore scoring is rare, the car being a C4S from the cold midwest has all the classic signs. Personally I wouldn't even spend time on it. You can find another.
First, if do you want to go check it out, you MUST get a PPI from a reputable Porsche shop. Before you head out post the location on the forum and ask guys for any recommended shops in the area or if they could take a look at the car for you. You will typically find a few guys willing to help.
Second, if you havent read up on bore scoring, 9 times out of 10 it happens to cars from cold climates that weren't properly warmed up leading to scoring on the cylinder walls. Ive seen anecdotal evidence it happens on the 3.8 C4S more than others, likely because those are sold in cold climates. The symptoms are the car first starts burning a lot of oil and the driver side exhaust tip will get black because it typically effects the cylinder bank on the passenger side. The next step is noticeable ticking that can be misdiagnosed as a stuck lifter.
Third, to diagnose you need to get the car on a lift to see if the ticking is coming from the cylinder heads on the passenger side. There is a video on YouTube of Jake Raby diagnosing scored bores. I would search "Jake Raby 997 scored bores" in youtube for it. Even if that checks out you need to get the cylinders scoped during the PPI and I would even ask them to cut open the oil filter. It will add a couple hundred bucks to the typical PPI but its worth it.
Not trying to scare you or shift you away from the 997.1 because I think its the best value sports car on the planet today. However bore scoring and IMS are the two primary issues you want to make sure you check out thoroughly to have a long and enjoyable journey. IMS is limited to no risk in the 2006+ model year cars so you are fine on that front.
Once you validate the major stuff we can share the typical maintenance items you will find in this vintage. It sounds like you are a DIY guy so none of them are serious issues, just a $100 in parts and a couple hours work.
I had a ticking in my 997S for a few months back in 2011. A Porsche dealer wanted to replace my lifters. I declined. That was 91,000 miles ago. The ticking went away after the next oil change. Get a PPI - them dropping down to 32k from 40k is suspect.
Is it automatic or manual tranny?? Auto tranny figure $4000 less in value - $32K is not a deal with tick - $20K might be
BUT
Slight tick is not normal and 90% of anyone on RL with slight tick noise has eventually reported major issues - You are performing a crap shoot buying that car w/o a PPI - Get a PPI and have them inspect the tick
Or if you decide not to do PPI, start saving up for the $20K you will need to rebuild the engine if necessary
Great stuff. Brian, very informative! Thanks all. I got pics of the exhaust tips. Drivers side is noticeably darker. You can see it in the video too.
Looking at the Carfax, it spent all its life in CT and PA. it was sold at auction to the dealer in Colorado. Dealer in CT and PA was kind enough to read off the service history and they both said the car had all its maintenance and service performed. At one point the ECU was replaced in warranty.
Is this deal too good to be true? The Porsche dealer in Denver can’t do a PPI until Oct 21st. Might have to pass considering the signs I am seeing.
welcome to the club. Good advice here to get thorough PPI. I have put 20,000 miles on my 2007 C4S. Driving in Michigan winter. The car is rock solid! No repairs. Just regular oil change at the best indie shop in the area.
$32K for a 80K mile car would be an average or slightly better than average deal with no ticking. Its fall going into winter, so most sellers are trying to dump thier sports cars. Don't do a PPI at the dealership, ask them to take it to a local indy specialist. Lastly, its nearly impossible to hear, let alone diagnose ticking with a cell phone mic through youtube!
10-06-2018, 11:20 AM
New member, about to buy 2006 C4S...
) The 911 is my favorite since I was a kid and over the last year have been seriously looking. Lots of confusing info out there but I think I have a handle on what to look for. I finally found a 2006 997. I think... Its a 06 C4S. Almost 80K miles. Has a minor tick but nothing that didn't sound relatively normal to me. I have been tire kicking and test driving 997's monthly. Can you guys tell me if this "ticking" is a normal sound? I have heard it in a lot of other 997's I drove. I negotiated down to $32K (from $40K)... This is from a Mercedes dealership and their tech identified the tick after their inspection.
